Whatcom Waterway
Current Status
Last Updated: July 2023
Información en español
Phase 2 Areas Engineering Design Underway
Read Response to Comments
Ecology held a 30-day comment period (April 24 - May 23, 2023) for review of an amendment to the existing Cleanup Action Plan (CAP) for the in-water Whatcom Waterway Site (Site) on the Bellingham waterfront.
The CAP amendment is part of a legal agreement between Ecology, the Port of Bellingham (Port), the City of Bellingham (City), and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Ecology has also updated and now finalized the Public Participation Plan for the Site which was available for review. This removes the Public Participation Plan as an exhibit to the legal agreement and makes it a standalone document.
What happens next?
Ecology has reviewed and considered the public comments received on the documents and no edits to the documents are necessary. Ecology is finalizing the documents.
In fall 2023, construction of the Bellingham Shipping Terminal dredging project will begin with completion scheduled by spring 2024.
Engineering design of the cleanup action for remaining Phase 2 Site Areas will start in 2023. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025 and be completed by 2028.
Estimated Site Timeline
- April 24 – May 23, 2023: Public comment period
- May 3, 2023: Walking Tour (hosted by RE Sources) with virtual Tour video; Open House (hosted by Ecology)
- July 2023: Public comments addressed and amendment finalized
- Fall 2023: Begin construction of BST dredging project
- Spring 2024: Complete construction of BST dredging project
- 2023 – 2025: Complete engineering design of cleanup action for remaining Phase 2 Site Areas
- 2025: Begin construction of cleanup action for remaining Phase 2 Site Areas
- 2028: Complete construction of cleanup action for remaining Phase 2 Site Areas
General Cleanup Process
Public Participation
This plan includes information for the public regarding opportunities to get involved in the cleanup process. The outreach activities and mechanisms presented reflect Ecology’s current plans for keeping the public informed and for receiving information and comments from the public.
Status Of Cleanup
Portions of the Site have been cleaned up and remaining areas are in the cleanup action plan/engineering step of the formal cleanup process shown above.
Log Pond Area
In November 2000, Georgia-Pacific, with Ecology oversight, began construction activities to address contaminated sediment within the Log Pond area of the Site. The work, completed in February 2001, placed about 43,000 cubic yards of clean material over an area of about 5.6 acres to isolate contaminated sediment and restore habitat.
To ensure the completed cleanup protects human health and the environment in the long term, scientists are conducting physical, chemical, and biological monitoring. Monitoring results led to the placement of additional material in select shoreline areas of the Log Pond to prevent erosion as part of the cleanup of Phase 1 Site Areas described below.
Phase 1 Site Areas
In July 2015, the Port of Bellingham, with Ecology oversight, began construction activities to address contaminated sediment within Phase 1 Site Areas. The work was completed in 2016 and included:
- Removing 111,446 cubic yards of contaminated sediment
- Removing 9,962 tons of soil and 265 tons of creosote-treated timber
- Removing 5,146 tons of concrete and asphalt rubble (over 98% was reused or recycled)
- Isolating contaminated sediment with 102,950 cubic yards of clean material
- Installing 36,600 square feet of sheet pile walls on the north side of the waterway to support the upland and prevent contaminated groundwater from entering the waterway
To ensure the completed cleanup protects human health and the environment in the long term, scientists are conducting physical, chemical, and biological monitoring.
Monitored Natural Recovery Areas
Monitoring of the completed cleanup of Phase 1 Site Areas also includes chemical monitoring of natural recovery areas to ensure that contaminated sediment isolated by clean material (due to natural processes) remains isolated.
Phase 2 Site Areas
In 2023, Ecology is amending the existing Cleanup Action Plan (CAP) for Phase 2 Site Areas. The CAP amendment is part of a legal agreement between Ecology, the Port, the City, and the DNR.
The CAP amendment:
- sequences design and construction activities to prioritize early cleanup at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal (BST).
- documents a possible future change to the cleanup action at the head of the Whatcom Waterway to provide habitat benefit.
- revises the cleanup action for the Aerated Stabilization Basin (ASB), including dredged material disposal, due to changes in land use plans.
- adds a cleanup standard for dioxin and furan compounds due to regulatory changes.
Site Information
Background
The over 700 acre Site is located within Bellingham Bay south of the Holly Street bridge in Bellingham, Washington. Most of the Site is owned by the State of Washington.
The cleanup of the Log Pond Area (6 acres) was completed in 2001, and Phase 1 Site Areas (18 acres) was completed in 2016. Monitoring of these areas and natural recovery areas (636 acres) continues. The cleanup of Phase 2 Site Areas (71 acres) remains to be performed.
The Site is one of 12 Bellingham Bay cleanup sites coordinated through the Bellingham Bay Demonstration Pilot. The Pilot is a bay-wide multi-agency effort to clean up contamination, control pollution sources and restore habitat, with consideration for land and water uses. In 2000, participants in this initiative developed the Bellingham Bay Comprehensive Strategy.
Contamination
The Site includes in-water sediment impacted by contaminants released from past industrial waterfront activities, including discharges from the former Georgia-Pacific chlor-alkali plant, wood waste and degradation products from historic log rafting activities, and pulp mill wastewater discharges.
As a result of these past industrial activities, studies conducted as part of the cleanup process have shown mercury, 4-methyphenol, and dioxin/furan compounds in sediment at concentrations that exceed the requirements of the state’s cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), and must be addressed.
Translated Content
El Departamento de Ecología le invita a revisor los documentos para el sitio que está contaminado Whatcom Waterway en Bellingham.
Si le gustaría recibir este documento en español, por favor llame a 425-240-4353 y espere a que un intérprete se una a la llamada o envíe un correo electrónico a preguntas@ecy.wa.gov. Traducciones de avisos públicos para los sitios de limpieza de la Bahía de Bellingham se preparan bajo solicitud.
Requesting Accommodation
If you speak a non-English language, free language services are available.
Documents 95
Legal 13
Map 1
Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
Site Map | 11/2/1915 | Map |
Public Information 16
State Environmental Policy Act 5
Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Bellingham Bay Comprehensive Strategy | 2/2/2015 | SEPA Documents |
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement | 9/20/2007 | SEPA Documents |
Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement | 10/10/2006 | SEPA Documents |
Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement | 3/1/2002 | SEPA Documents |
Bellingham Bay Comprehensive Strategy - SEPA - Environmental Impact Statement | 10/1/2000 | SEPA Documents |
Technical Reports 60
Places to see print documents
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Northwest Regional Office15700 Dayton Ave NShoreline, 98133Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.
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Ecology Bellingham Field Office913 Squalicum Way, Unit 101Bellingham, 98225This location may only have print documents available during open comment periods.
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Bellingham Public Library210 Central AveBellingham, 98225This location may only have print documents available during open comment periods.
Contaminants 10
Contaminant Type | Soil |
Groundwater |
Surface Water |
Air |
Sediment |
Bedrock |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other Contaminant - Base/Neutral/Acid Organics | B | B | B | |||
Halogenated Organics - Halogenated Organics | B | B | B | B | ||
Metals - Metals Priority Pollutants | B | B | B | B | C | |
Halogenated Organics - Polychlorinated biPhenyls (PCB) | B | |||||
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum Products-Unspecified | B | B | B | |||
Non-Halogenated Organics - Phenolic Compounds | B | B | B | C | ||
Non-Halogenated Organics - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons | B | B | B | |||
Other Contaminant - Conventional Contaminants, Organic | B | B | B | B | ||
Other Contaminant - Conventional Contaminants, Inorganic | B | B | B | B | ||
Other Contaminant - Other Deleterious Substances | C |
- S
- Suspected
- C
- Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
- B
- Below Cleanup Levels
- RA
- Remediated-Above
- RB
- Remediated-Below
- R
- Remediated